Researchers Achieve Amazing Memory Density

Mr. Fahrenheit writes in with a Wired story on research out of Arizona State, where researchers have "developed a low-cost, low-power computer memory that could put terabyte-sized thumb drives in consumers' pockets within a few years... The new memory technology — programmable metallization cell (PMC) — comes as current storage technologies are starting to reach their physical limits." PMC involves the on-demand creation of copper nano-wire bridges. It's said to promise memories that are 1/10 the cost and 1/1000 the power consumption of conventional Flash memory. Three memory manufacturers have licensed the technology and the first chips are expected on the market in 18 months.

Oblig.

[thatskinnyguy]

Who on earth would ever need more than a terabyte?

Finally!

[WK2]

Finally, they will have a viable means to distribute Duke Nuke'm Forever!

Re:And it will be released in 5 years

[rubycodez]

ah, just in time for the Year of the Linux desktop, you mean. I look forward to using them in the Paperless Office we'll all have.

Re:Oblig.

[Asm-Coder]

* - Joke

  O
-|- - You
/ \

Re:This is only part of the problem

[Jeremi]

how to back it all up

Buy two, they're small.

how to secure it

Best way is to build in a Bluetooth interface with encryption, then swallow the memory module. (small grappling hooks will secure it to the lining of your small intestine). That way if the bad guys want your private information, they'll have to (quite literally) go through you to get it.

Re:This is only part of the problem

[SamP2]

how to back it all up

I trust the manufacturer's word. I have no reason to believe a solid brand-name disk would ever fail.

how to secure it

Nobody needs to hack me, because I have nothing to hide!

Re:And it will be released in 5 years

[robzon]

... aaaand with Duke Nukem Forever preinstalled! Yay!

Re:Oblig.

[Justus]

Holy shit, the joke cut his head off!!!

1 TB

[dgun]

It would be great if they made it look just like a floppy. I would pull up a command prompt and format it everyday, just so I look like a smarty computer guy to all my coworkers.

And what a great excuse, "Sorry sir, I will get that report to you as soon as this thing formats. Oh, look at the time. See you in the morning."

Re:Oblig.

[Seumas]

As soon as they reach a terabyte, I'll only need to buy eight of them to fit all my porn on. I, for one, am eager to see this technology realized.

Re:And it will be released in 5 years

[risk one]

It's a shame that all that extra productivity will be completely negated when everybody gets addicted to Duke Nukem Forever.

Re:This is only part of the problem

[deopmix]

I kinda wonder how much apple would charge to change the battery on THAT.

Re:Oblig.

[jamesh]

You could actually have a thumb drive implanted in your thumb!

Re:Vaporware.

[jollyreaper]

I don't think most people nowdays appreciate how much 1.44 MB is...

They will if you make them copy it out in punch cards. My high school computer teacher used that as a threat. Then again, she also warned us to keep those little plastic sleeves on the 3.5 disks to prevent the spread of viruses. *shakes head sadly*

Re:Vaporware.

[Anonymous Coward]

That was a metaphor, and theyre mostly made of latex now

Re:A new age!

[Gabrill]

Not to brag or anything, but my library of congress is bigger than your library of congress by at least a couple of Volkswagens and a baseball.

Re:Oblig.

[A nonymous Coward]

No, I think he just spaced out ....

Hey, Stick to The Rules

[Nom du Keyboard]

Three memory manufacturers have licensed the technology and the first chips are expected on the market in 18 months.

Hey, stick to The Rules. No new, paradigm-changing technologies are allowed to be announced as arriving in less than 5 years.

For that matter, they can't be more than 5 years out either!

Re:Oblig.

[Farmer Tim]

Another victim of a rapier wit.

Re:Oblig.

[Anpheus]

My random number generator compresses very well, allowing me to store exobytes of random data.

I just use int rand() { return 4; /* determined to be suitably random via dice roll */ }.

(Credit: Randall Munroe at xkcd.com for part of this joke or the xkcd followers will flame me until I am but a charred husk of a person.)

Re:This is only part of the problem

[Patrik_AKA_RedX]

I use security through clutter. I keep everything in one map. Every file has a cryptic name which only I can decyper, well, most of the time at least, just not on monday mornings. The map contains 10 files that are secret and about 25,000 intresting files I can't do without, I do intent to one day actualy look at them, if I can decyper their filenames at that particular day.
For backup, well, I have the same files in my gmail account, on 2 online harddisk services, on the 3 other computers I own, some of the files are printed and archived in a neat pile in the corner of my room (sorted from oldest to newest) and I sure my uncle Steve has a few of those files as well. The rest I can redownload if I ever need them and remember ever having them in the first place.
As for the real mission critical files, I use Kazaa: I put them in a zipfile, add an intresting movie or mp3, then share it. Most of these files are backed up on 125,400 computers, all spread out across the globe. Now who can say that about his backup policy? (other than the RIAA and the MPAA) The files are secure too, since I rename them to "My views on the political situation of flower gardens" and remove the extension.

Re:Oblig.

[TeknoHog]

Don't you mean: Who on Earth would ever need more than a Terrabyte?